The Buying Process

Everyday we engage in exchange. It could be the exchange of ideas, goodsor services, gifts and much more. It only proves the social nature ofhuman beings. The transactions usually culminate in benefits to boththe giver and receiver of these factors for exchange. In business,where these dealings are conducted for considerations such as price,the process is referred to as buying. Also, because these transfersinvolve two participants, one party is the buyer, and the other partyis the seller. It is imperative to understand the buying behavior,which is the decision processes and conducts of persons involved inbuying and using products. In the paper, the analysis will indulge avariety of literature to describe the buying process and reveal itssignificance in online business.

Thecustomer’s decision-making process is influenced by many factors(internal or external) such as purchasing behavior, shopping habits,the brand a client buy and the retailers he goes. Individuals aresteered by their cultural considerations, social standings,personality, family, and world trends into using a product (Chen &ampChang, 2003).

Itis important to note that the internet has offered an excellentplatform for conducting business. It connects the whole world and hasreduced issues concerning distance into instant connectivity.Internet shopping is broadly appreciated as a way of purchasingproducts and services. Online shopping is observed to offer customersa variety and many alternatives, and it is easier to find anythingonline. On the other hand, the internet transactions have been marredby lack of trust, and some consumers cringe at the thought ofindulging in online shopping. The customer’s decision-makingprocess invariably starts with need awareness, then informationsearch, alternative evaluations, deciding to purchase and eventuallypost purchasing behavior (Chen &amp Chang, 2003).

Ina nutshell, in E-commerce communications, the customer takes aninterest in a product or service after seeing an online promotion orbanner advertisement. Afterward, the customer searches online forinformation concerning the product they express interest. Uponfinding the reliable information, the client compares products fromthe variety he has discovered to pick the best choice. The purchasingstage then follows where information quality, sale services, andproduct assortment assist in influencing customer’s decision tosettle for a given product and the preferable seller. On the laststage is the post purchase stage, involving consumer returning orchanging the product they have bought because they have a problem orconcern with it.

Inthe paper, I will mention a computer software as the product to usein discussing into detail the online buying process. The process asearlier asserted entail five stages, which are: problem recognition,information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase decision,and post-purchase behavior.

Manyfactors influence online shopping decision. Many people preferinternet shopping because they can carry out any of their dealswithout going to the store. They can buy products at lower pricesthrough comparing from different websites that offer the similarproducts. Online shopping reduces the pressure involved in travelingto the store to acquire the product one needs. For instance, a personwould not have to endure the traffic jams or sometimes themanipulating salesperson. The factors can be collected into fourgroups, which are, Cost and Time Efficiency, Convenience,Information, and Available products and services.

Availableproduct and services

E-commerceprovides a deep level of business and makes it easier to accessonline stores that give a variety of the goods. The consumers gainfrom this because they have many alternatives to choose from. In themodern age, most companies have websites to promote their products,notwithstanding that they may still own front stores. It is easier toknow the products supplied by the companies, and a person can justidentify a product of interest. Shipping a software manually from onecountry to another or even from one region of a country to anotherwould be expensive. The procedure involved requires unnecessarilymany people to conduct such transactions. Online shopping offers manywebsites that an individual may choose to buy a computer, grantingthe consumer the power to pick the best in fulfillment of his needs.

Information

Theinformation provided on the internet websites concerning the productsthey sell is detailed. It is because their customers never have theopportunity to handle these products physically before they decide topurchase therefore, they have to rely on the company information andreviews from other customers.

Costand Time Efficiency

Onlineshops usually offer subsidized pricing on their products as comparedto front stores. Internet shopping also provides an array of goods toensure the customer has alternatives. The consumers can check fromthe many websites offering the same products. On time, e-commerce isfaster in promoting its transactions, and its product presentationsare instant. Again, a person can access the online market anytime andanywhere. Some websites also offer best offer option or auction totheir customers to make a good deal for their product.

Convenience

Theconvenience that the online shopping platform provides affords theconsumers the power to make decisions without the influence andmanipulation of salespersons or just anyone. The consumers freely andsolely decide on which product to buy by relying on the informationfrom the company. The internet shopping is available all the time,even after the traditional shops are closed. An individual wouldaccess products anytime they felt like. E-commerce is convenientbecause customers in these markets observe that they do not have toendure the psychological constraint that accompanies the traditionalshopping such as waiting in traffic jams and interacting withsalespersons who would manipulate the buyer into buying.

Howto Buy a Computer Online

ProblemRecognition

Iobserved that I needed to improve my situation and make learningeasier and simpler. I had always applied the traditional methods ofreading but due to my financial position, I could not afford much ofthe information that was required to complete my assignmentssatisfactorily. I concluded that the solution was to acquire a laptopto help me with retrieving more information and their storage. I,therefore, needed a laptop that had a 500 GB hard disk and 4GB RAM.This would ensure that I had a faster internet connection and a largecapacity to store my documents.

Inthis stage, research states that the marketers identify the problemthat the customer has and provide the right products to satisfy hisneed. The marketers will have to share testimonials and factsconcerning the product they believe will attract the interest of theconsumer. They ask questions concerning the customer’s problem toinvite them into the buying process (Chen &amp Chang, 2003).

InformationSearch

Iset on doing my online search from one website to the next. I wantedto find out first which company offered the best product and at whatprice. Among the sites I checked were the online marketing sites,E-bay, Alibaba, and OLX. They all provided the information I neededand the product I sought.

Again,in this phase, the marketers after knowing the problem the consumershave they must provide information concerning their products. Theywill work with Google Trusted Stores or by advertising partnershipsand sponsors prominently on all web materials.

Evaluationof alternatives

Ihad many options to pick from. I now needed to check on the finerdetails that distinguished one company’s product from the other. Itwas a good experience having a variety to choose.

Inthis stage, the marketers should provide appealing promotion detailsto keep customers glued on their products. They need to recognizethat there are competition and other companies also supply similarproducts. One company provided information on their websiteconcerning pricing by other businesses on the same products theysold. Therefore, a customer would not have to check with anothercompany.

PurchaseDecision

Atthis stage, the marketers need to work a little harder by providinginformation that gives a sense of security to customers. Themarketers have to offer information on their product and brand. It isat this stage that they determine whether they make profit or loss.They have to remind customers using emails and messages to buy theirproduct.

Purchase

Marketingon this phase should be kept simple and straightforward. The companyshould check the procedures of buying and confirm that they areunderstandable and can be easily followed. If the purchase process istoo complicated, the company would likely lose many customers.

Postpurchase behavior

Itis not always that when the acquisition has been carried out then,the buying process is completed. The client might later expressdissatisfaction by returning the product or asking for an exchange.

Inthis case, the marketers have to be prepared for such eventualities.At this stage, the company could even suffer the loss of the client’sloyalty. The company can assess and identify the source of dissonanceand offer the exchange in a more straightforward manner. And for thecustomers who are satisfied with the product, they could send themsurvey forms to confirm their views and make their consumers realizethat they are pleased to be working with them (Chen &amp Chang,2003).

Inconclusion, the buying process is a necessary process to understand,especially among the marketers. The procedure offers the marketers achance at at selling their products to needful customers. Also, theconsumers are provided with information on how to ensure shoppingonline is successful.